It's not the most glamorous life, but goalkeepers perform some of the most thankless – and essential – tasks on a soccer field. For that, they deserve some recognition.

The 2012 Save of the Year is organized as a World Cup-style tournament, of sorts, and it all culminates in the announcement of the Save of the Year on Wednesday, November 28.

Here's how it all works:

The First Round (voting Nov 5-12) will consist of the 31 winners of the Save of the Week in 2012 plus one save nominated by the MLSsoccer.com editorial staff, placed in eight groups of four. The top two in each group, as determined by an online vote, will advance to the Round of 16.

The Round of 16 (Nov 14-21) will consist of the 16 remaining saves, placed in four groups of four. The top vote-getter in each group, as determined by an online vote, will advance to the Final Group.

The Final Group (Nov 24-27) will consist of the 4 remaining saves, placed in a group. The MLS Save of the Year winner will be determined by an online vote.